Loss
by Guchi-kouhai
Summary: After the War and after what everyone has lost, someone has to keep everyone together and functioning. Hermione is the one to do it. When she meets some of her old muggle friends, will she give into and leave the world that has only brought her loss?


**A/N:** This is something that came into my head; I really have no idea where I'm going with it. But I was thinking about what would happen after the war, like who would die and how everyone would react. I really don't have anything out against the Weasleys…trust me.

**Disclaimer:** Unfortunately Harry Potter and all things related to him belong to J. K. Rowling. I just write about it.

**Warnings:** Um…spoilers for HBP, angst

**Loss**

Ginny rolled over, being half awake and feeling a person beside her, and thinking that is was someone else, she pulled herself up on her elbow and kissed said person's cheek. Hermione sat up, eyes wide, shocked expression on her face, and stared at a now awake Ginny. "Gin…" But before Hermione could say anything more, the redhead curled into a ball; clutching her knees and pressing them up to her chest.

Hermione watched in horror as Ginny started to cry, big fat tears rolling down her cheeks, body shaking with convulsions every minute. Hermione moved her hand out to lay it on Ginny's shoulder, but stopped before she could get there. _I-I don't know what to do._ After about five minutes, Ginny's gushing tears became a steady flow and her shoulder shaking sobs became less frequent. Ginny just held her legs and let the tears flow, her shoulders shaking only once in a while.

Hermione pulled Ginny to her and held the girl, rubbing the younger her back she made soothing sounds. Hermione held back her own tears. It was Ginny's moment. Later, when no one was around to see the perfect Hermione brake, she would cry. She would cry heart wrenching sobs also, but not now. Now it was Ginny's time.

Hermione whispered soft words, trying to help the girl. "I know, I know. I miss him too. Its okay, I know you thought I was him, don't worry. I know, I know." She ran her fingers up and down Ginny's back; something she had found out calmed the girl. After four weeks, Hermione now knew just about what calmed down anyone in the Burrow. She could even get Fred out of his slump sometimes. "Ginny." The red head sucked in her breath, waiting for what Hermione was going to say. "It'll never be okay, and the pain will never go away, but maybe someday we'll learn to live with it." Hermione felt Ginny slowly let out her breath and nod, agreeing with the older girl.

Hermione squeezed Ginny and then pushed her arms length away. Hermione already had her smile on her face; the one no one knew wasn't real. She looked into Ginny's hazel eyes and knew that the seventeen year old had seen way too much in her short life. Just as she herself had. "Gin…Come on. Do you really think Harry would have wanted you to be like this??" Hermione looked at her watch, it was 7:59. She got up and pulled on the younger girls arm. "Come, let's make breakfast for your family. It'll keep our mind off things!"

Ginny looked up at the bushy haired girl through the tears still in her eyes, she smiled and nodded. Wiping her eyes, she relented to Hermione's tug and got up, heading down the stairs to the kitchen, banishing all thoughts of her Harry until a different time.

* * *

Later, after a breakfast that surprised Miss. Weasley to no end, Hermione went up to the red haired women. She stood in front of her adoptive mother, who was sitting in the kitchen taking a brake from cleaning that didn't need to be done. She had a handkerchief tied around her head, a flowered apron on and her hands were red from scrubbing. She had recently started doing things "the Muggle way". She said it took her mind off things. "Er-Mrs.Weasley?? 

The women looked up from her magazine (Witch Weekly) and smiled. Hermione could see hope and worry in the women's eyes; worry that Hermione might be telling her bad news and hope that Hermione was telling her anything at all. "Yes, dear?" she asked.

Hermione smiled, but inwardly felt bad for Mrs. Weasley. She was about to leave, and she knew she was the only one that the women trusted to do anything around the house. "I have to leave for a bit. Don't worry I'll be back soon. I'm stopping at Diagon Alley before I come home, is there anything you want me to get??" Hermione asked, knowing that Mrs. Weasley hated going to Diagon Alley since the War.

Mrs. Weasley smiled but shook her head. "No, dear. What you brought back last week is still good. You just go and do your thing." Mrs. Weasley looked up at her clock and sighed. "You visiting today dear??"

Hermione nodded as she looked out the window. That was all the indication she gave that she heard Mrs. Weasley at all. "I'll be going know." And with a small pop, Hermione Dissaperated from the kitchen.

* * *

Hermione walked up to the receptionist and signed in. She flashed her permanent visitor's card and walked to the stairs. She went up to the first floor and got off. She nodded to the nurses and Healers as she passed by. 

She made her was down the hall to the room Bill Weasley was in. It was one of the secure one, since they still weren't sure exactly what would happen when the full moon appeared. The women thought as she walked and realized that the full moon was that night. She walked by the common room and saw Bill probably waiting for Fleur. She walked up to him and smiled.

"Hello Bill." She said and sat down next to him. "Worried about tonight?"

Bill looked at her with surprise and then smiled. "Not really. The Healers are quite certain I'm not goin' to change or anything along the like. They do say it is possible that I might become hairier though. Nothin' much to worry about." She and smiled, making his scared face more recognizable.

Hermione nodded and noticed at Bill's eyes lit up and assumed that Fleur had just come. This was confirmed when the women greeted her as she came up.

"Hello, how are you Her-mi-oh-ne?" She said, saying Hermione's name carefully so she said it right.

Hermione nodded to Bill and then stood up. She smiled at Fleur. "I'm fine thank you. I'll leave you with Bill now." She said and quietly left the common room.

Next she made her way to the elevator, taking it to the forth floor. She ignored the whispers here at St. Mungo's like she did everywhere else.

"Poor girl. I feel sorry for her" An elderly nurse said at the desk as Hermione walked by. A young girl in a nurse's outfit looked at her curiously. She was obviously new and didn't know what the other was talking about. The elderly witch nodded at the retreating back of Hermione with a sad look on her face. "That's one of them. She's one of the ones that helped The Boy Who Lived defeat He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

The new girl's mouth opened and she looked at Hermione's back, as if trying to see what made her special. She turned back to the other witch, eyes wide with wonder.

"Yes. She was really close to The Boy Who Lived, one of his best mates at Hogwarts apparently. Well she comes here at least once a week, usually more, to talk to and check up on them."

"_Them_?" The young girl asked eyes wide.

"Them. The other ones who helped The Boy Who Lived, many of them are still here. And she visits every one of 'em, each week." The elder witch shook her head and went back to her book, hoping that someday that the girl would help herself.

* * *

Hermione was glad that at least everybody was near to each other, some even in the same room. She visited the easiest ones first. The ones that could talk back to her. She walked up the room 122 and peaked in. She smiled when she saw that Professor Lupin was awake. She opened the door and walked in, smiling a real smile for the first time in a while. "Professor! How are you feeling?" 

"Hermione!! Is that you?" He called from his bed. Where he was propped up with pillows and covered in blankets.

"Hello professor, yes it is me. I'm glad you are awake. We were worried for a while there." Hermione said as she made her way to the side of Lupin's bed and sat down on a chair for the visitors. "So how are you?" She said as she looked at Lupin's face and the scars that kept his eyes closed forever now.

Lupin smiled gently and nodded. "I'm fine. It'll take some getting used to, but Tonks says that she doesn't mind in the least." He raised his hand and touched the smooth, stretched scars that crisscrossed his eyes and face.

Hermione took his other hand and squeezed it. "Well a lot of things are going to take some getting used to." She said softly as she sat there and held her friend's hand.

"Yes. There are." Lupin shook his head and pointed his face in the direction Hermione's voice had come from. "I've heard what happened after I got knocked out and what's been going on since." He squeezed his old student's hand and softened his voice. "The question now is, are _you_ okay??"

Hermione bit her lip but didn't say anything. She nodded, but then remembered that he wouldn't be able to see her. "Yes I'm fine. Things are just going to need some time to get used to." She laughed a sad forced laugh. "It's funny really. All the nurses and Healers know me already."

Lupin shook his head at Hermione but knew that what he said wouldn't do anything. "So, who else is in this room with me? Tonks didn't know." He moved his head as if he was looking around, but the blackness he was living in didn't change at all.

Hermione listed off the other occupants of the room. "Well everyone else is still asleep or in the common room. Neville was here, but he went home…yesterday I think. And the last bed is occupied by Kingsly Shaklebolt. Or was up until two weeks ago, he's better and they haven't filled his bed yet."

Hermione smiled, she was glad that at least two of the people who had survived were well on their way to getting better. She looked up at a noise by the door and saw Tonks waiting. She grinned and nodded. Turning to Lupin she patted his hand and gently pulled it out of his grasp. "I'm going now professor, Tonks is here."

Lupin nodded and turned to where he thought Hermione was. "You must start calling me Lupin, or Remeus." He said softly.

Hermione just smiled and walked to the door. She opened it and left if open for Tonks. She nodded to the young Auror and walked further down the corridor.

Tonks watched Hermione until she turned the corner. Shaking her head, she walked into her husband's room, wondering how everyone was going to get passed what had happened a month ago.

_Can I visit him today or should I wait?_ A voice inside her softly told her just to walk by him; maybe today wouldn't be too bad. Hermione walked to the secure area, flashing her card to the clerk and then her eye to the scanner. Walking through the doors, she slowly made her way to middle rooms.

Hermione took in a breath and braced herself. She walked up to the window that showed him. As always her eyes didn't seem to want to look. They flicked to everything but the window. From the bright white of the walls outside, the dull gray of the padding in his room, to the permanent wall label, presenting solemnly the name he had always been so proud of: Draco Malfoy.

Hermione finally forced her eyes to look at him, and took an involuntary step back when she did. Draco's sharp gray eyes were staring out the window at Hermione. She wanted to see the insanity there, but all she could see was his want to be free.

Pulling her eyes from his gaze she shook her head and looked at the rest of him. His once immaculate white blond hair was dirty and greasy. It was long now, reaching slightly past his color bone. His skin was an even unhealthier pale then normal; it seemed to almost be transparent in the bright light of the hospital. His pointed face was more drawn then usual and he was clothed in a white hospital gown.

"Oh Draco…" She said as she looked at him, her hand involuntarily coming up to touch the glass. "I can't believe this happened to you."

* * *

Hermione had one person left at St. Mungo's. The last person she saw. The one person she always saw. The person she didn't really want to see. 

She stood outside his room, breathing evenly and slowly. She unlocked the door to the ward and walked in. She slowly made her way to the bed, remembering Christmas of her fifth year when she had found out about Neville's parents.

Her eyes flicked to them, beds next to each other, staring up at the ceiling, smiling faintly. Her eyes moved from them to the bed opposite, looking at someone another person who had been tortured to insanity. Pushing down the tears that came unbidden at the sight of the bed's occupant, Hermione walked over and took Ron Weasley's hand.

* * *

**

* * *

A/N: So…like it? It's not done of course. This was originally going to be a one shot, but I got impatient and wanted to post it. **

Comments please. But if you hate what I write, I really don't care. It was your choice to read my work. If you have something _constructive_ to say to comment about, I'd be happy to hear it. But if you're just going to tell me you hate it and you can't believe I did what I did. I don't want to hear it.


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